This award will supply travel from the US to Fortaleza for approximately 20-25 mathematicians (with emphasis on graduate students and recent Ph.D.'s), to attend the XV Brazilian School of Differential Geometry, which will take place in Fortaleza, Brazil, July 14 to July 18, 2008. It is organized jointly by the Federal University of Ceara (UFC) and the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA). The XV Brazilian School of Differential Geometry is dedicated to the 80th birthday of Manfredo do Carmo, the grandfather of differential geometry in Brazil, who has established a flourishing group of geometers all over the country. The School of Differential Geometry is a major event in Brazil which takes place every two years in various parts of the country, most recently in Niteroi, Goiania Sao Paulo, and Salvador. Its purpose is to describe recent developments in Differential Geometry through research talks and lecture series by national and international experts. Two advanced surveys this year will be by Ko Honda on "Contact geometry" and by Frank Pacard on "Nonlinear PDE methods in geometry".
The geometry school has a tradition of giving lecture series that take place at several different levels. Some are for advanced undergraduates and some for graduate students in order to encourage them to go into Differential Geometry. Others are at a more advanced level geared towards research mathematicians and advanced graduate students, giving a survey of recent subjects of particular interest. This year there are surveys on contact geometry and on geometric analysis. In addition there are research talks by Brazilian and international experts. The conference will thus provide a rich environment in which US graduate students and recent Ph.D.'s can learn about new developments in geometry, There is a tradition of interaction between mathematicians in the US and those in Brazil. A second goal of this grant is to foster new interactions between younger mathematicians and their Brazilian counter parts. Participation by women and minorities will be actively sought and encouraged.
